Old Tioga Road

Old Tioga Road isn't a signed, maintained trail so much as a leftover — the original 1883 wagon road to Tioga Pass, bypassed but never removed when the modern Tioga Road was built through the high country. Two disconnected stretches of the old grade still see foot traffic today, linking White Wolf, Yosemite Creek, and the May Lake trail junction.

A Road Built for a Silver Mine

The route began in 1883 as a private road built by the Great Sierra Consolidated Silver Company to reach its mining camp at Bennettville and the Sheepherder Tunnel near Tioga Pass. Stephen T. Mather and a group of friends bought the road in 1915 and gave it to the newly formed National Park Service. When Tioga Road was realigned onto a straighter grade through the 1930s, this older road was left in place instead of removed.

Hiking the Old Grade Today

• White Wolf to Yosemite Creek: about 5 miles, descending from a junction near White Wolf to Yosemite Creek, where a small primitive campground has served travelers on this road since it was built.
• Snow Flat to May Lake Junction: a further 2 miles climbs via Snow Flat to the May Lake Trail junction.

Trail-tracking sources put the connected point-to-point route at roughly 7.5 miles with about 1,360 feet of gain between 6,200 and 7,440 feet — an intermediate grade with a few steep pitches.

Before You Go

This is an unsigned former roadbed, not a groomed trail, so carry a map or GPS track rather than relying on signage. The only facility along the way is the primitive campground at Yosemite Creek. Like the rest of Yosemite's high country, it's only walkable once Tioga Road is clear of snow — check current conditions before you go.